


I Came Back Haunted

by Zhenya71



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [11]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 01:32:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15675345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhenya71/pseuds/Zhenya71
Summary: Prompt:I challenge you... to write a fic (of any length) using this as inspiration:Title is fromCame Back Hauntedby Nine Inch Nails.





	I Came Back Haunted

Sasha loped through the dim clearing, wary, his ears pricked upright to catch any sounds. The forest was oddly quiet, though, the only sounds his own breathing and his paws on the fallen leaves. He paused, looking around and then leapt up onto the lower branch of a half-fallen tree. Again, he listened hard, ears cocked and shifting from side to side. Nothing. 

Jumping back to the ground, Sasha cast an uneasy look at the trees. Some of his younger packmates thought this area of the forest was haunted, which was ridiculous. Of course it was ridiculous. Sasha didn't believe in any of that nonsense, no matter what the others said. 

A sharp cracking sound startled him, and Sasha jumped, spinning to look towards the trees again, hackles up, his ears and tail lowered as his lip curled back from his teeth. He waited, listening, but again heard nothing but his own breathing.

 _Don't be so stupid_ , he chided himself and gave himself a hard shake. _But still, time to move on._ He turned away from the trees just as he heard a rustle of leaves and grass, but before he could react, a large black shape slammed into his side, bowling him over into a pile of dead leaves. He growled, loudly, teeth bared, but the scent of 'packmate' filled his nose and he held back his instinctive urge to fight. He shoved, hard, throwing the younger wolf off him him as he regained his feet, and then shook his head, looking down at Zhenya, sprawled in the leaves. 

Zhenya was all long, skinny legs, which made him taller then Sasha, but he didn't have anywhere near the bulk Sasha did. Sasha bared his teeth again, but this time in play, pouncing on his packmate, the two of them rolling and tussling in the leaves, teeth and claws never breaking skin. Sasha pinned the younger wolf down with some effort, teeth catching at Zhenya's ruff, and Zhenya submitted, tucking his tail and ears. Sasha was pretty sure that it wouldn't be too much longer before Zhenya wouldn't submit, and then the tussles would become a lot less playful.

Sasha let Zhenya go, and flopped into the grass beside him, huffing at him, tail thumping against the ground. Zhenya thumped his tail against the ground as well, giving a low growling 'chuckle' of amusement, reaching out one hind paw to push at Sasha's side playfully. Sasha growled, but absently, not really bothered. 

The two wolves lay in companionable silence for a bit, both catching their breath. Then Sasha shifted to sit up, looking around, listening, before shifting to his human form. He shook himself hard after the transformation and then looked over at Zhenya again. "I was looking for you. I have something to tell you."

Zhenya's eyes narrowed, and he eyed Sasha a moment before he shifted to his human form as well, not bothering to sit up from his naked sprawl in the grass. "Why does that worry me?" he replied.

Sasha huffed out a breath and looked away from his friend, back towards the supposedly haunted trees. No point in beating around the bush, so to speak, so Sasha replied, bluntly, "They sold me. They're keeping me long enough for Worlds, but then I'm going to America. To Washington."

Zhenya just stared a moment, eyes widening. "You?" he said, tone disbelieving. "They sold **you** to the NHL? Are they crazy?"

Sasha shrugged, gaze still on the trees. "I would imagine they got a good price for me," he replied blandly.

Zhenya huffed and looked up at the sky, peering through the trees to see the stars as night fell. "You're lucky," he said quietly. "Everyone says America is better then here. But then, anywhere would be better than here."

Sasha looked at his friend again, at the pale lines of scars that marked his back, just like the ones on Sasha's own back, and nodded. "If I can, I'll mention you to them. Tell them we play well together. Maybe they'll buy you, too." 

Zhenya ducked his head a little and nodded. "It'll be strange here without you, Sasha," he said quietly. "I'd rather go to America, too."

Sasha slid closer and bumped Zhenya with his shoulder. "The NHL will want you, Zhenya. If not Washington, one of the teams. You're one of the best and you know it. If Russia will sell you, one of them will buy you, I guarantee it. You won't be here forever."

Zhenya bumped Sasha back and huffed. "If," he replied. "But then, none of us thought they'd ever sell you, so who knows." He shrugged lightly. "I'll hope for Washington, but I won't hold my breath."

Sasha huffed as well, shaking his head. "There's no point to worrying over what you can't change, Zhenka," he replied, reaching out to curl his fingers around Zhenya's nape and give him a little shake. "Come on, let's hunt, I'm hungry."

Zhenya glanced at his packmate and then nodded, acknowledging the truth of his words. "I'm hungry, too," he agreed, focusing on that, rather then on the reality that he was going to lose his friend. "Bet I catch something before you." He grinned, and then shifted back to a wolf, shaking himself and then grinning again, tongue lolling.

Sasha laughed at that. "You think so, huh? We'll see." He shifted to a wolf as well, and then sniffed at the air. He glanced back at the trees once more, and then followed Zhenya into another part of the forest, leaving the odd stillness behind them.


End file.
